1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ornamental wheel accessories for vehicles, among which are included items known in the art as "hub caps," and more particularly, relates to full or partial wheel covers, axle covers, hub covers, or caps and chromed circular plates (or beauty rings) for use on wheels of heavy duty trucks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wheel covers, axle covers and hub caps for vehicles have been in widespread use for a long time. Generally, such devices serve a decorative or ornamental purpose by covering the aesthetically unfinished wheel, and also protect the axle or hub from accumulation of particles of debris, dirt, and dust.
Attempts have been made in the past to use the existing lug nuts on the wheel to also secure a wheel accessory, such as a wheel or axle cover. The results of such attempts have been unsatisfactory because the addition of the wheel or axle cover prevents the lug nuts from seating properly against the wheel, creating a potentially dangerous situation where the lug nuts are not properly seated and may loosen and be lost under normal road use. Further, some existing wheel or axle covers require removal of all lug nuts on the wheel for installation which necessitates jacking up the vehicle.
The present invention is an improvement in that the wheel accessory is retained by the existing lug nuts without interfering with the proper seating thereof against the wheel, and further does not require removal of the wheel or the jacking up of the vehicle because only a minority of the existing lug nuts need be removed for mounting of the wheel accessory.